Steering mechanism for vessels



April 3, 1928.

G. E. BARRETT STEERING MECHANISM FOR vVESSELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Ju1y28, 1927 ATTORN EY April 3, 1928.

Filed July28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1928a UNITEO SATES lTETFFICE.

VGEORGE EUGENE BARRETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB T ING COMPANY, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF LENHEE ENGINEER- NEW JERSEY.

Application led July 28, 1927. Serial No. 208,920.

My present invention refers to certain new and uselul improvements in steering apparatus l'or vessels ot various kinds, the object being to reduce and simplify the number oi parts without iinpairing the etliciency, thus cheapening the cost oit construction and operation. rlhe improvements are peculiarly applicable to battleships, cruisers and the like, but l am by no 1U ineans confined thereto, and may extend the use wherever opportunity otl'ers.

The invention may therefore be said to consist essentially in the construction, coinbination, and arrangement of parts, and in numerous details and peculiarities of the saine. substantially' as will be hereinafter def scribed and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings. illustrating my invention Figure l is a top plan view of my improvedy steering mechanism.

`Figure 2 is a partial horizontal sectional plan View.

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3, 3, ofvFigure l..

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 4, ot' Figure 1, showing especially the l:rear housing` or casing.

lrigure 5 is a detail plan view of the lower -:o haltl oil the housing shown in Figure 4, and certain mechanical members therein, with ce in parts broken oil and certain other parts in section.

Figure G is an enlarged partial sectional detail ot a transverse portion 'of the said housing and one oit the actuatingvpinions YFor the screw sha'i't gear, together with the shaft for said pinion. and the clutch mechanism iter throwing one of the power revicos into and out oi action,

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding part throughout all the difterent ligures et the drawings.

l denotes a cross-luad, beam, or steering fw bur, which lies in a horizontal position, and

`l les lo und iro on a central vertical I s, raft 2. to which it is keyed. The rudder (not shown) connected in any suitrb'e nianr-.ex with uprigl'it 2, and this upno z''hi' z5 supported in suitable hearing (not sln. \vn} in the stern or the vessel; but as the invention does .not reside in these details, but

vcontrols the rudder.

At some suitable point in the vessel, in front of the cross-head 1, is a group of longitudinal members, comprising the two parallel guide rods or tubes 10, 10, and the intermediate screw shaft, also preferably tubular, having left yand right hand screw sections A and B. The ends of rods 10 nearest the rudder are supported in upright standards or bearings 11, ll.v and the adjacent end of screw section A is supported :in the intermediate bearing 12; while the opposite ends of rods 10 and ofscrew B are supported in a housing,` or casing, having upper section 13 and lower section 14, as indicated in Figures 4 and 5.

This housing or casing for the ends of the rods 10, the screw-shaft, and for various gears to be presently described, is an important feature of my invention, and 'I desire to broadly protect the same. lt may be made of any number of parts, but I prefer to construct it of two main sections, the upper one 13, and the lower'one 14, which are securely bolted together, the bolts passing through horizontal flanges that rest on veach other, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The housing stands upright and the space between its vertical walls is narrow so that the ycasing is relatively thin, but wide enough to accommodate the gea-rs therein, and to furnish the necessary supports and bearings. The outside sur'lfaces of the housingwalls may have any desired number of flanges, angle irons, ribs, supporting feet, etc., and may be provided with plates, covers, man-holes or other 'features to allow shafts, rods, and the actuating screw to enter it, and in order to adapt it for the work and duties which it is intended for. As already stated, the ends of rods 10 and screw B have supports in this housing. By referring to Figures 4l and 5 it will be seen that in the housing the ends of rods 10 have a reduce-d section 10EL between an outer flange 10b and an inner shoulder 10c, which reduced section 10L serves as a supporting end of the rod carried firmly in the wall of the h'ousingbetween the two sections of sai-d housing.` And further the smooth end Vportion B1 of screw B in the housing omits its thread far enough to provide this smooth section Bl to serve as a journalon which the screw shaft may revolve, as also to carry a gear wheel 15 keyed rigidly thereto, which gear wheel is protected inside of the housing. The section ,B1 revolves in bushings in the vertical walls of the housing at both sidesof gear wheel 15. This gear wheel 15 is engaged by the two pinions 16, 16,V said gear and pinions being protected within the housing, which is filled with oil to lubricate the gearing vand the various bearings and other parts.

` The right and left hand screw A, B, fs a singlel shaft, preferably tubular for the vsake of lightness and strength, one half ofy used than otherwise, thus saving in cost ofV material aswell as promoting reliability of operation. i

On each rod 1() is a long sliding sleeve 7, consisting of an elongated tubulaimember,

as shown in Figure 2. The ends of these sleeves towards the cross-head lare fformed with right angled arms 6, to which the actuating links 4, 4, are pivotally connected by pivot pins ("l, the ends of arms 6 being slotted as seen in Figure 3 to receive the perforated ends of links fi. Further, one sleeve 7 carries an internally threaded nut 9 on the end adjoining its arm (i, said nut consisting of a casting bolted to the sleeve, which nut engages the screw threaded section A; and the other sleeve 7, on its end farthest from its arm 6 has a similar internally screw threaded nut 9a that consists of a casting bolted to the sleeve and this nut. engages the thread of screw section B. Thus when the right and left screw A, B, rotates, the nuts 9 and 9d will be caused to travel towards` or away from each other in opposite directions on the respective screw sections A and B, and the sleeves will slide also in opposite directions on their guide rods 10, and the result will be that one link Li will pull onone end of cross-head 1, and the other link will push on the other end of crosshead 1 so that the combined action of the two links will be to turn the crossehead and its rudder about. a greater or less distance as required in steering.

Each elongated sleeve member 7 has internal end bushings, see Figure 2. Thus near the left hand end .is bushing 4.1i, packed by a packing held in place by gland Ll2; and at the opposite cud is bushing a5, packed by a packing held in place by gland All. In addition to these end bushings there is a middle bushing 2G held inA place by screw bolts 27. This middle bushingv gives the'long sleeve a central support on its guide rod, and enables 7a Vsevere bending strain to be given to the rodwithout buckling or bending it, thus giving better steering results, with lessI injury to the machinery. At certain times and in certain positions of the sleeves, corresponding to certain positions and movements of the rudder, the strain on the rods and on the sleeves, is very great, and l aim to rein force the parts and enable `them to better withstand this strain. The interior of the sleeves, provides an annular oil space to lubricate the `bushings and sleeves in their reciprocatory movements on the guide rod, 10.

` The right and left screw shaft which actuates the sleeves jointly so as to move the cross-head and rudder or i other steering member, is driven by a system of gearing, and the gearing is propelled by motors or enoines of any Vpreferred kind. The aforesaid gearing comprises the large intermediate gear wheel 15, see Figure 4, which is keyed on the part B1 of screw Vshaft section B. This gear wheel 15 is engaged by two pinions 1G which operate together upon the gear wheel 15 to rotate it in the same direction,said pinions rotating in the same direc tion. The pinions 16 are made integral with shafts having suitable clutch mechai'neni and operated by the motors C, (l, one motor for each pinion 16. These motors G and their y location relatively to the rest of the mecha nism are shown in Figure l and the detailed parts of the shaft and clutch devices between the motors C and the pinions 1G, are dclineated clearly on a large scale in Figure G.

` It is manifest that the driving machine C, Chimay be any kind of motors, as steam, gas, electric or any other kind; or they may be drivingy pumps arranged to impart rotary motion to their parallel shafts 17, 17. Thesev motors are duplicate and operate Yin the saine manner to-rot-ate their shafts in the `same di rection, and both are normally actively in clutch at all times, and it is not intended ordinarily to throw either out of clutch The cutting out of either motor is only done when said motor goes dead in consequence of some injury or breakdown, in whichcase it iii-x will .be cut yont andthe whole loador duty will be necessarily thrown over on to the other motor. Y

Referring to the detailed parts vbest shown in Figure 6, it willbe seen ythat a clutch member 1'8 constructed in any desired way and of `as many parts -as preferred-and hav-4 ing teeth 19 is keyed to themotor shaft 17. This clutch member '1S extends over V'the aligned shaft section 24 and revolves on a bushing or sleeve i6 held in place between a disk 37r bolted on the end ofsha-ft section 24k by a bolt`38 and a packing ring -whichlies between the sleeve 46 and the keys`23 rigid in section'Qll, on which keys 23 the movable clutch member 2O slides. This movable member has teeth 21adaptedtoengage teeth 19 on the clutchmember 18 that is secured to motor shaft 17; and a lever39 pivoted at i() has pins or other devices engaging the circular groove 22 in the sliding clutchsec'tion 20. Therefore by manipulating the handle 39 the clutch member -can be thrown into or out of engagement with the clutch member 18, and the power of the revolving motor shaft 17 transferred to or cut oil from the shaft 24. Obviously both motor mechanisms 'have similar clutch devices easily operated by' lever handles as 39.

The shaft section 24 for-eachmotor driving appli-ance is integral with another shaftsection 25 `with which the pinion l'isrmade integral,-the 'teeth of which pinion 16 engaged the large driving @gear wheel 15. Shaft section k25 is supported within the lower housing section 14 in two ball bearings 32 and 33 in the sidewalls of the housing, adjacent to openingstherein which are :fitted with covers 28 and 34, cover 28 being secured to the housing bybolts 30'which also hold a packinggland 29 that compresses an inner packing. And'cover 34 is lsecured in place by vbolts The ends of shaft section'Q are suitably reduced in diameter to lcarry the inner race-ways of the ball bearings, the inner race of ball bearing 33 being held firmly on the end of the shaft by a bolted disk 36; andl the inner race of the bearing 32 being held firmly on shaft Y25 by a screw washer 31 binding againstit and screwing on a few threads on section 24 where it merges into section 25. `Of course these details may vary widely and `I give them by way of illustration. `It may be noted quite obviously that a similar combination is provided between each motor C and the pinion 16 driven thereby, these. constructions being duplicates'in every respect, for the purpose of enabling each motor to be connected with a similar pinion which engages and drives the large gear wheel and the screw shaft, so that at one time when both motors are functioning both pinions will be exerting the samekind of a rotary effect upon the large gear, and when only one motor is functioning the pinion driven by it will be exerting thesaine fkind of an'cffcct on the large gear wheel, whereby rat one time the gear is driven 'by two pinions and at another byl one pinion, but the kdrive is of the lsame kind.

In the operation, the motors will run simulataneously, both clutch mechanisms being in engagement, with the resultthat the two pinions both jointly drive-thefgearwheel 15 if one motor ceases to operate for'any ise, the attendant maytlnowthe clutch lever 39 belonging to that particularmotor and uuclutch it from the restl of the mechanism, after which the other motor will have to do all the work of steering ,but `the single pinion 1G in this case will do the same work previously done by both pinions when both motorswere actively running. By a simple quick movement of one or the other of the clutch levers, a broken or incapacitated motor is cut out of operative connection with the other parts so vthat it will not interfere with the working of the companion motor.

Many changes in the details and in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the limits of the appended claims.

V'Vhat I claim is:

1. 4In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a rudder cross-headof parallel guide rods, a right-and left hand screw shaft between the rods, means for supporting the rods andscrew at one end,al housing for enclosing and supporting the opposite ends 'of the rods and screw, elongated sliding sleeves on the guide rods having internally threaded members `that enthe vscrew and having also projecting arms, links pivoted to said arms 'and to the crosshead, gearing within the housing, and a dual power mechanism for 'actuating the gearing, together with means for throwing either half of said power mechanism out of action.

2. In lmechanism of the Vclass described,

the combination with a rudder cross-head,

of parallel guide rods, a screw intermediate of said rods and having a left hand thread and a right hand thread, means for carrying the. rods and the .screw at their ends, permitting rotating of the screw, a bearing also at the center of the screw between the right and left threads, elongated sliding sleeves on the guides, one on each, said sleeve having annular interior oil chambers together with end bushings and a central supporting bushing to facilitate movement on the rods, one of said sleeves having a nut engaging the left thread of the screw and the other sleeve having a nut engaging the right thread of the screw, and both of said sleeves having arms, links connecting the arms with the opposite ends of the cross-head, and power mechanism for lrotating the screw.

3. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination with a rudder crossshead, of longitudinal guide rods and a screw between them, said screw having'right and left hand threaded sections, traveling sleeves on the rods having threaded members engaging the screw, means connecting the sleeves with the cross-head,imeans for supporting the rods and screw at one end and providing a bearing for the screw at that end, means for supporting the rods and screw at the other end and providing a bea-ring for the screw at that end, said latter means consisting of a housing, a gear within the housing and on the screw,`two pinions within the housing and engaging the gear wheel, shaftsV carrying said pinions, twin power4 devices, one for each of said shafts, and clutch mechanisms for the power devices for placing the same in or out of action.

i 4. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a rudder cross-head, of longitudinal guide rods and a screw between them, said screw having right and left hand threaded sections, traveling sleeves on the rods having threaded members engaging the screw, links connecting the sleeves with the cross-head, means for supporting the rods at one end and providing a bearing for the screw at that end, means for supporting the rods and-screw at the other end and providing a. bearing for the screw at that end, said latter meanswconsistingof a vhousing in which reduced end portions of the rods are secured and in which the journal end of the screw rotates, a drive gear wheel secured on this end of the screw and enclosed by the housing, two pinions within the housing engaging the gear wheel, shafts carrying said pinions, ball bearings in the walls -of the housing for said pinion shafts, twin motors for jointly actuating the pinions, and a clutch clutch mechanism for each motor to throw it into or out of action.

5. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a rudder` cross-head, of longitudinal guide rods and a screw be-` tween them, said screw having right and left hand threads, traveling sleeves on the rods having nuts engaging the screw, links connecting Vthe sleeves with the cross-head,

supports for the rods at one cud, a bearing for the screw at the saine end, a housing or casing of two main parts providing a support for' the other ends of the guide rods and a bearing for the other end of the screw, a gear wheel within the housing and secured on the screw, a pair of piiiions engaging the gear wheel withinV the housing, separate parallel shafts for the piiiions, bearii'igs for mounting said pinion shafts in the housing, a motor for each of said shafts having itself a shaft, and a clutch device for each inotor lia'ving a member on the motor shaft and an interlocking memberfon the pinion shaft, all arranged so that both motors mayjointlyiactuate the screw inthe same direction. p f v 6. In mechanism of the class described, the combination with a cross piece, of parallel. guide rods and a right and left screw, traveling sleeves on the rods having nuts engaging the screw, and having arms, links pivoted to said arms and tothe cross' piece, a housing or-casing having two main parts, an upper and a lower, said lower` part havingA cover-provided shaftsieceiving openings, the walls of said housing receiving and-'supporting one of the reduced and tiangcdends ofthe rods and also providing a bearing vfor one of the screws, a train of gears within the housing for actuating the screw, one being on the screw, and theother two engaging that one, shafts carrying `the latter two gears and supported in bearings in the aforesaid shaft-ieceiving openings, together fwiith Y power mechanism for driving both of `said shaftsor only one of them. c c p, i

7. In mechanism of the class described,

the combination with an; oscillatable cross beam, of guide rods, a screw between them,

nuts traveling on the screw, sleeves con nected to said nuts and traveling onitlie rods, connections between the sleeves and the cross beam, supporting means at one end ofthe rods and screw, and a casing at the other ends `of the rods and screw to provide a supportfor the rods and a bearing in which the screw may rotate, said casing con-` sisting `of an upper shell and a lower shell,V with vertical walls relatively nar-` rowly-spaced apart, said walls being oppof sitelj)7 apertured at points to permit shafts to enter, and a train of gears in said casing,`

one gear ofthe same being on the screw, andtwopinions of `the same engaging the gear, and parallel shaftsentering the aforesaid apertures and carrying the pinionsftogether with power mechanism to drive the gear mechanism, and means to cut out one or the otheroftthe pinions from the gear train.

8. In a rudder control., an oscillatable member, in combination with a right and left screw shaft for oscillating it, mech anism interposed between the Vscrew shaft and the oscillatable member, comprising sleeves with nuts engaging the screw, guides for the sleeves, and connections'between the sleeves andthe oscillatable member, and mechanism for rotating the screw shaft consisting of a dualV motor device and gearing between saine and the screw shaft, a lubricant-containing housing for said gearing, and means for enabling the dual motor device to function as a: single motor device.

` 9. In a rudder control, the-combination with the crosshead, of guide rods, aV right and left screw, tri-hushed. sleeves sliding on the guide-rods and having threaded nuts engaging the screw, llinks pivoted ,toV the Cross-head and to the sleeve, L bearing' for tional shaft for the pinion, the sections havone end of the screw, a Central bearing for ing coupling and upooupling kmeans, and the screw a bearing for the other end of the power mechanism to drive the pinion shaft. l0 screw, a gear Wheel on the latter end of the In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my 5 screw, a pinion engaging the gear Wheel, a signature.

housing covering the gearing and Supporting the last-mentioned screw bearing, a sec- GEORGE EUGENE BARRETT. 

